A self-taught individual learns on his own.
Autodidacta is a term that comes from the French word autodidacte , which in turn derives from the Greek autodidaktos . It is an adjective that is used to describe someone who educates or trains themselves .
According to the dictionary of the Royal Spanish Academy ( RAE ), autodidact can also be used as a noun. A self-taught person is an individual who, without resorting to the assistance of a teacher or the educational service of an institution, develops a learning process that he or she promotes on his or her own .
Characteristics of someone self-taught
A self-taught person has, as their main trait, the desire to learn . Those who are self-taught are not obliged to educate themselves, as is the case with those who have to complete compulsory education, for example. The intention to train arises by your will, whether for the pleasure of cultivating or with the desire to progress.
Beyond this motivation, the self-taught person has to be responsible and constant . Since you do not have the supervision or control of a teacher, you must consider certain objectives as mandatory and fulfill them even though there is no punishment if you do not do so. Otherwise, you will likely not progress in learning.
As for consistency, it is essential to not abandon training in the middle of the road. It is key to “force yourself” to dedicate a certain amount of time daily or weekly to study and/or practice and maintain that routine even when difficulties or adversities arise.
Responsibility and perseverance are keys in self-taught learning.
Advantages of learning on your own
Self-paced learning offers several benefits. The first advantage is the freedom to manage schedules : you do not have to be tied to a fixed agenda, but it is possible to accommodate activities according to each person's convenience. One day it is possible to study in the morning and the next, in the afternoon or at night. Rest days are also at the discretion of the student.
Self-taught training, on the other hand, advances at the pace of the learner . You do not have to adjust to external demands, so you can dedicate the necessary time to each step or stage .
Another point in favor of this type of education is that it is not tied to a physical space. In general, it is not necessary to go somewhere to learn. Thanks to the Internet , today a computer or a telephone is enough to access millions of educational contents, many of them free.
Problems of self-taught learning
The most common drawback when learning self-taught is the lack of tutoring or tutoring . Without a teacher , professor or tutor, it can be difficult to resolve doubts or overcome pedagogical obstacles.
Along the same lines, it becomes complex to evaluate the level achieved or determine the validity of the knowledge acquired. There is no authority figure in charge of judging whether the person is learning, or if their learning is correct.
In many cases, in turn, certifying self-taught learning is not possible. Achieving an officially recognized degree or diploma thanks to training of this kind is rare.